1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to dressing applicator to aid in the application of a dressing.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, dressings are applied by hand to needle stick sites after blood draws or Intravenous (IV) therapy.
Various dressing dispensers are available. However, while these dispensers dispense dressings, they do not assist healthcare professional to apply the dressing to a needle stick site or a wound. Dressings must still be applied manually, which can expose a healthcare professional or other care provider to potentially hazardous biomedical materials.
Patients are often exposed to nonsterile procedures or products after the needle stick or blood draw. Ofttimes, healthcare professionals would use nonsterile tape and/or nonsterile dressing materials (such as cotton balls) when dressing the needle stick site. In many instances, healthcare professionals will ask a patient to assist in the dressing process by, for example, holding a cotton ball in place over a needle stick site, while the healthcare professional applies tape over the cotton ball. Even if the tape and cotton ball were initially sterile, allowing the patient to touch or handle the cotton ball potentially introduces germs, bacteria, microorganisms, dirt, etc. into the cotton ball and/or tape.
Unfortunately, universal protocols, procedures, or standards for applying a dressing to a needle stick or blood draw site do not exist. Thus, patients are left to potentially inconsistent local protocols and procedures or the chosen method of a particular healthcare provider.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles, or the like, which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.